Sport Equipment for use in Practicing Ball Sports

ABSTRACT

A free-standing rebound wall for practicing ball sports is presented. The free-standing rebound wall comprises: a rigid rebound surface against which a ball can be struck to rebound from the rebound surface; and at least one adjustment unit adapted to be adjustable so as to vary the inclination of the rebound surface.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to sporting equipment and more particularly to a wall structure for use in practicing ball sports, such as tennis and similar games

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

It is known to provide a wall structure against which a person can hit a ball to practice a ball game. Such a wall structure for use in practicing ball sports is commonly referred to as a rebound wall.

Conventional rebound walls require deep, permanent concrete foundations to be dug into the ground. Such facilities are therefore typically expensive and not widely available.

Also, conventional rebound walls can suffer from rebound characteristics which result in a ball being returned with an unrealistic flight arc compared to that of a non-rebound version of the ball sport. Thus, a tennis player practicing alone for example may have been limited to hitting the ball against a rebound wall which may only be adequate for an advanced player (and not a beginner).

It is also known to provide practice nets, for example, cricket nets, which are retained on a frame or inflatable structure and are used to prevent escape of a ball from a practice environment. Such secured nets may provide a rebound structure against which a person can hit a ball to practice a ball game.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a free-standing rebound wall for practicing ball sports comprising: a rigid rebound surface against which a ball can be struck to rebound from the rebound surface; and at least one adjustment unit adapted to be adjustable so as to vary the inclination of the rebound surface.

Thus, there may therefore be provided a free-standing rebound wall which is customisable and has an adjustable angle-faced rigid rebound surface. Such a rebound wall may be formed from pre-fabricated sections that interlock tighter.

The customisable angle of the rebound surface may enable the rebound characteristics of a ball to be varied according to customers' requirements. Embodiments of the invention may therefore be suitable for all ranges of players (from beginners through to professionals). By being able to adjust the angle of rebound surface, customers may choose the exact rebound flight characteristics, thus making the rebound wall suitable for players that desire a slower and more lofted flight to a rebounded ball or players that want a faster, lower ball flight.

Use of the expression “free-standing” should be taken to mean a rebound wall for practicing ball sports that is adapted to stand on a ground support surface and be of adequate stability for safe usage without needing to be anchored to the ground and/or connected to (or supported by) a nearby vertically projecting support structure. Thus, a free-standing rebound wall according to an embodiment may be simply placed on a ground support surface without the need for any foundations or supplementary support structure. Stability of such a rebound wall may be provided by arranging the centre of gravity of the rebound wall to be as low as possible (e.g. as close to the ground support practically as possible), and this may be achieved, for example, by using a ballast and/or heavy weight(s) at the base of the rebound wall.

Although embodiments of the rebound wall may be specifically adapted to be free-standing on a ground support surface, it will be understood that some embodiments may further comprise fixing sections which enable the rebound wall to be anchored to the ground and/or a vertically projecting support structure for greater stability.

The rebound surface may be substantially planar so as to provide a generally predictable ball return trajectory or direction when the ball strikes the rebound surface.

In some embodiments, the rebound surface may comprise indented or projecting formations adapted to cause an unexpected ball return trajectory or direction when the ball strikes a formation.

The at least one adjustment unit may be adapted to be adjustable relative to the rebound surface.

In an embodiment, the at least one adjustment unit may comprise one or more wedges.

In some embodiments, the inclination of the rebound surface may be variable in the range of 0 to 30 degrees from vertical, and more preferably variable in the range of 2 to 20 degrees from vertical. Such embodiments may enable the rebound characteristics of a ball to be customised to suit a players ability or requirement.

The rebound wall may comprise a plurality of interlocking prefabricated sections, thereby enabling the rebound wall to be transported and/or installed easily.

Embodiments may further comprise one or more fixing sections for fixing the rebound wall to a ground support surface upon which the rebound wall is adapted to stand.

Embodiments may provide a rebound wall which is a semi-permanent structure that is adapted to be movable to a new installation location. Thus, a rebound wall which can be moved or re-sited may be provided.

There is proposed a wall structure for use in practicing ball sports (such as tennis and the like), otherwise referred to as a rebound wall. The proposed structure wall may be useful in training for ball games, including tennis, and so may otherwise be thought of as ball game training apparatus or sporting equipment.

Further developments of the invention are the subject-matter of the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying diagrams, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a rebound wall according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is front elevation view of the rebound wall of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a right side elevation view of the rebound wall of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the rebound wall of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the rebound wall of FIG. 1 taken along the line X-X of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a close-up view of the right side of the base of the rebound wall of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 depicts a rebound wall according to an embodiment, wherein the inclination of the rebound surface is varied between six differing values.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, there is depicted a free-standing rebound wall 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The rebound wall 10 is free-standing since it can be stood on a ground support surface used to without needing to be anchored to the ground and/or connected to (or supported by) an adjacent support structure.

The rebound wall 10 has a rigid front rebound surface 12 against which a ball can be struck to rebound from the rebound surface 12. The rebound wall also has a rear surface 14. Here, the front rebound surface 12 is title or angled with respect to the rear surface 14 such that the front rebound surface 12 and the rear surface 14 are not parallel. Thus, when arranged in a position as depicted in FIGS. 3 and 5, the rear surface 14 is substantially vertical and the front rebound surface 12 is inclined from vertical by an angle of approximately 5°-10°.

As shown in FIG. 6, the rebound wall 10 is provided with a plurality of wedge-like adjustment units 16. The wedge-like adjustment units 16 are adapted to be positioned between the base 18 of the rebound wall and the ground support surface 20, and variation of the adjustment units 16 relative to the base 18 (and thus the front rebound surface 12) varies the inclination of the front rebound surface 12 (by varying the angle or inclination of the base 18).

Thus, it will be understood that the inclination of the front rebound surface may be altered by varying the number and/or position of the adjustment units 16 between the base 18 of the rebound wall 10 and the ground support surface 20.

Variation of the angle or inclination of the front rebound surface 12 may enable the rebound characteristics of a ball to be varied according to customers' requirements. The embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 to 6 may therefore be equally suitable for beginners and professionals) through adjustment of the angle or inclination of the front rebound surface 12.

It is noted that, in the depicted embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 6, the front rebound surface 12 is planar so that it provides a generally predictable ball return trajectory or direction when the ball strikes the front rebound surface 12.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the front rebound surface 12 is provided with a printed horizontal line 22 which represents the top of an imaginary tennis net. A graphic or logo 24 is also printed in the lower left corner of the front rebound surface 12. It will therefore be appreciated that the front rebound surface 12 is customizable through the provision of graphics, etc. so as to cater for various ball games and/or advertisements.

Here, the rebound wall 10 is formed from first 26 to third 30 pre-fabricated sections that have interlocking edges so as to be connectable to each other in a line. The width of the rebound wall 10 may therefore be varied by the addition or removal of such pre-fabricated sections.

Although the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 6 is adapted to be free-standing on the ground support surface 20, it further comprises cut-out fixing sections 32 at the base of each pre-fabricated section. The cut-out fixing sections 32 are provided with ground/floor mounting brackets (not shown) which provide a pair of fixing points 34 per cut-out section 32. Thus, four ground/floor fixing points 34 are provided for each pre-fabricated section. The ground/floor fixing points 34 enable the rebound wall 10 to be anchored to the ground for further improved stability. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the wedge-like adjustment units 16 may be positioned to correspond in location with the fixing points 34 so that a fixing device (such as a screw or bolt for example) can be passed through each fixing point 34 and corresponding adjustment unit 16 to secure the rebound wall 10 to the ground/floor.

Referring now to FIG. 7, there is depicted a rebound wall 100 according to an embodiment, wherein the inclination of the front rebound surface 102 is varied between six differing values.

Here, the base configuration of the rebound wall 100 is shown in FIG. 7C, wherein the front rebound surface 102 is inclined approximately 10° from vertical in the clockwise direction (i.e. backward direction away from a player) and the rear surface 104 is vertical.

The inclination of the front rebound surface 102 is altered by varying the number, position, shape and/or orientation of one or more adjustment units 106 between the base 108 of the rebound wall 100 and the floor 110.

In the first configuration (shown in FIG. 7A), adjustment units 106 are positioned between the base 108 of the rebound wall 100 and the floor 110 so as to tilt the base by approximately 5° from horizontal in the anti-clockwise direction. This results in the angle of the front rebound surface 102 and rear surface 104 being altered by the equivalent angle (5°) in the anti-clockwise direction (i.e. forward direction towards a player) from the base configuration of FIG. 7C, thus resulting in the front rebound surface 102 being inclined approximately 5° from vertical in the clockwise direction (i.e. backward direction away from a player).

In the second configuration (shown in FIG. 7B), adjustment units 106 are positioned between the base 108 of the rebound wall 100 and the floor 110 so as to tilt the base by approximately 2° from horizontal in the anti-clockwise direction. This results in the angle of the front rebound surface 102 and rear surface 104 being altered by the equivalent angle (2°) in the anti-clockwise direction (i.e. forward direction towards a player) from the base configuration of FIG. 7C, thus resulting in the front rebound surface 102 being inclined approximately 8° from vertical in the clockwise direction (i.e. backward direction away from a player).

In the fourth configuration (shown in FIG. 7D), adjustment units 106 are positioned between the base 108 of the rebound wall 100 and the floor 110 so as to tilt the base by approximately 9° from horizontal in the clockwise direction. This results in the angle of the front rebound surface 102 and rear surface 104 being altered by the equivalent angle (9°) in the clockwise direction (i.e. backward direction away from a player) from the base configuration of FIG. 7C, thus resulting in the front rebound surface 102 being inclined approximately 19° from vertical in the clockwise direction (i.e. backward direction away from a player).

In the fifth configuration (shown in FIG. 7E), adjustment units 106 are positioned between the base 108 of the rebound wall 100 and the floor 110 so as to tilt the base by approximately 11° from horizontal in the clockwise direction. This results in the angle of the front rebound surface 102 and rear surface 104 being altered by the equivalent angle (11°) in the clockwise direction (i.e. backward direction away from a player) from the base configuration of FIG. 7C, thus resulting in the front rebound surface 102 being inclined approximately 21° from vertical in the clockwise direction (i.e. backward direction away from a player).

In the sixth configuration (shown in FIG. 7F), adjustment units 106 are positioned between the base 108 of the rebound wall 100 and the floor 110 so as to tilt the base by approximately 15° from horizontal in the clockwise direction. This results in the angle of the front rebound surface 102 and rear surface 104 being altered by the equivalent angle (15°) in the clockwise direction (i.e. backward direction away from a player) from the base configuration of FIG. 7C, thus resulting in the front rebound surface 102 being inclined approximately 25° from vertical in the clockwise direction (i.e. backward direction away from a player).

It will therefore be appreciated that the rebound wall of FIG. 7 is adjustable so that the inclination of the front rebound surface 102 may be variable, at least in the range of 5° to 25° degrees from vertical. Such variation of the inclination of the front rebound surface 102 may enable the rebound characteristics of a ball to be customized to suit a player's ability or requirements. Other embodiments may, of course, provide for differing ranges of inclination of the front rebound surface 102. Such ranges are envisaged to extend from the front rebound surface 102 being 0° from vertical through to the front rebound surface 102 being 35° from vertical, or more.

The adjustment units 106 may be adapted (by their size and/or shape for example) so that they enable variation of the inclination in steps of 1° through various combinations or arrangements between the base and the floor, for example. Alternatively, the adjustment units 106 may be variable in size or thickness such that the same adjustment units 106 can be used to provide varying values of inclination of the front rebound surface. For example, the adjustment unit 106 may comprise telescopic feet that can be adjusted in length so as to alter a gap between the base of the rebound wall and the floor.

It will be understood that the above-described adjustment units are only exemplary and that other embodiments may employ different adjustment units. For example, it is envisaged that an adjustment unit may comprise a washer or, and variation of the inclination of the front rebound surface may be realized by placing various numbers or combinations of washers between the base and the floor.

In other embodiments, the adjustment unit may comprise ratchet mechanism (having a round gear or linear rack with teeth, and a pivoting, spring-loaded finger that engages the teeth).

In yet further embodiments, the front rebound surface may be pivotally supported so as to enable rotation of the front rebound surface about a horizontal axis. Variation of the inclination of the front rebound surface may be achieved by rotating the front rebound surface about the horizontal axis and then, when at a desired location, a locking mechanism/device may be used to lock/fix the front rebound surface in position.

Other adjustment units that may be used to vary the inclination of the front rebound surface will be readily envisaged by the skilled reader.

Purely by way of indication, the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6 has the following dimensions: total width=3.6 m; total height=2.4 m; width of prefabricated sections=1.2 m; maximum depth (at base)=0.45 m; minimum depth (at top)=0.12 m. Of course, other embodiments may have one or more dimensions different from those of the depicted embodiments.

Modifications to the embodiments described above are envisaged. For example, in alternative embodiments, the front rebound surface may comprise indented or projecting formations adapted to cause an unexpected ball return trajectory or direction when the ball strikes a formation.

While specific embodiments have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications will be apparent to a person skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. 

1. A free-standing rebound wall for practicing ball sports comprising: a rigid rebound surface against which a ball can be struck to rebound from the rebound surface; and at least one adjustment unit adapted to be adjustable so as to vary the inclination of the rebound surface.
 2. The rebound wall of claim 1 wherein the rebound surface is substantially planar.
 3. The rebound wall of claim 1, wherein the rebound surface comprises indented or projecting formations adapted to cause an unexpected ball return trajectory or direction when the ball strikes a formation.
 4. The rebound wall of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjustment unit adapted to be adjustable relative to the rebound surface.
 5. The rebound wall of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjustment unit comprises one or more wedges.
 6. The rebound wall of claim 1, wherein the inclination of the rebound surface is variable in the range of 0 to 25 degrees from vertical.
 7. The rebound wall of claim 1, comprising a plurality of interlocking prefabricated sections
 8. The rebound wall of claim 1, further comprising one or more fixing sections for fixing the rebound wall to a ground support surface upon which the rebound wall is adapted to stand.
 9. The rebound wall of claim 1, wherein the rebound wall is a semi-permanent structure that is adapted to be movable to a new installation location
 10. (canceled) 